Mining sequencing to control blend quality

The extraction of ore from a mine must be scheduled to meet specific order production targets or `builds'. A number of physical, logical, and capacity constraints affect this planning. There is uncertainty in the process due to the imprecision of our knowledge of the mine's content until extracted from the ground. At the 2016 mathematics-in-industry study group workshop in Australia, Schneider Electric presented a project to consider mine scheduling. This paper reports on the assorted modelling approaches: exploration of sample data; considerations of the physically feasible mining sequences; the construction of a mixed integer program; a general heuristic strategy for dealing with different levels of uncertainty; and a build simulation. These provide promising avenues for further research on mine sequencing and related problems. References M. Menabde, G. Froyland, P. Stone, G. Yeates (2005), ``Mining schedule optimisation for conditionally simulated orebodies'', in Dimitrakopoulos R. (ed.) Orebody modelling and strategic mine planning: uncertainty and risk management models, Australasian Inst. Mining and Metallurgy, pp. 343–357, ISBN:1-920806-42-3 M. Ibrahimov, A. Mohais, S. Schellenberg, Z. Michalewicz (2014). ``Scheduling in iron ore open-pit mining'', The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 72(5–8), 1021–1037. doi:10.1007/s00170-014-5619-8 L. Caccetta, S. P. Hill (2003) ``An Application of Branch and Cut to Open Pit Mine Scheduling'' Journal of Global Optimization, 27, 349–365. doi:10.1023/A:102483502218